...if growing up means being like you.
The year was 2001. I was 22 and driving tour buses for the summer in Seattle. On an off day some friends and I went to Freeway Park, which is a cool park that happens to sit right above the Downtown freeway. We were running around, enjoying the splendid summer air, when we happened upon a place to play hopscotch. We decided hopscotch was a grand idea and commenced playing. We'd been up to it for a while when a young guy who couldn't have been much older than us walked by and said, "Aren't you a little old to be doing that?" We laughed it off, but from that day on, obviously to today since I'm still thinking about, I've felt sorry for that guy.
Call me crazy, but growing up has some major pitfalls. Sure, I can eat ice cream for dinner if I want to, (as long as the kids don't see me) but there are a whole lot of negatives that come with the territory. Too many to list, in fact.
Last week at work someone put out a huge stack of MG and YA ARCs, free for the taking. A bunch of us wandered over to see what there was to be had. As we were perusing the titles, a guy came walking up and asked his friend what was going on. The guy made some disparaging remark about only checking them out if you liked reading "kid's books."
You know what, Hopscotch Guy and YA Book Guy? There's a reason a lot of growing up sucks, and it's you. What part of growing up says you should stop having fun, stop doing silly things, stop reading about fantastical places and people and things?
Why is it not cool to have childish wonder?
I submit that it IS cool.
If you think you're too much of an adult to play a kid's game or read a book aimed at teenagers, don't do those things.
But don't blame it on growing up. Growing up doesn't have to be staid and stiff and boring.
It shouldn't be.
Blame it on your own lame self, because you're the one who's more concerned with looking cool than having fun.
The rest of us are going to be enjoying both adult and kids books and activities. And eating ice cream for dinner.
3 comments:
Great post, Thanks Dan! Staying in touch with the inner child is crucial for a writer.
So true!Sometimes I skip. You can't skip and feel unhappy. It's just not possible. But I usually only go skipping at night because of people like hopscotch guy.
Thank you Sechin! I definitely agree.
Haha. Wise words, Maureen! And skipping at night is probably more fun anyway. Stupid hopscotch guys.
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